Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 7: Grosseto – Fiuggi 264 kms

[HiroAntagonist]

I'm curious as to how hard Astana or Sky make the pace to test Contador, should be interesting.

 

[mrhender]

Pretty sure Saxo (if they could decide) will be at the front with very moderate pacing.. Letting the break go home with 5-10 minutes..

Only question is if other teams will play ball...

Obviously it depends if the teams with fave's for the stage has qualified riders in the break..

If break takes it home my money is on Geshcke or Kung...

Otherwise I'll go with Felline...

 

[classicomano]

Well of course I'm selective. I'm showing you the sprinters that the guy who "can't sprint" and "is going backwards in sprints" have beaten this year.

Coming 4th in a bunch sprint somewhere in the desert thus "beating" Kristoff who got 5th for whatever reason doesnt really prove anything. We can see now in the races that mather that his sprint is embarrassingly bad.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Astana and possibly Sky will surely go hard towards the end tomorrow and you can't blame them for that. If Contador starts and limits losses over the next couple of days due to the bunch soft peddling they will be fools not to test him. There is such a tough final week of the Giro where Contador could take lots of time back so this is a situation, albeit very unfortunate where they must take advantage.

 

[qwerty16]

Re:

Well of course I'm selective. I'm showing you the sprinters that the guy who "can't sprint" and "is going backwards in sprints" have beaten this year.

Coming 4th in a bunch sprint somewhere in the desert thus "beating" Kristoff who got 5th for whatever reason doesnt really prove anything. We can see now in the races that mather that his sprint is embarrassingly bad.

He's also coming back from injury. In Turkey he could barely contribute anything when leading out Cavendish. On the Pamukkale stage he couldn't even hold the wheel of Renshaw who was in front of him in the leadout that day. He's obsiously nowhere near the sprinter he was in his heyday, but the results he got here so far are obviously not a true measure as well.

 

[carton]

Re:

Astana and possibly Sky will surely go hard towards the end tomorrow and you can't blame them for that. If Contador starts and limits losses over the next couple of days due to the bunch soft peddling they will be fools not to test him. There is such a tough final week of the Giro where Contador could take lots of time back so this is a situation, albeit very unfortunate where they must take advantage.

Why? If Contador starts I'd expect Vino to weld the pedal to the metal.

 

[Jspear]

Gerrans for the win. Orica likes to share the glory. They've given Matthews his stage win. I'm thinking they'll go with Gerrans.

 

[mrhender]

Re:

Astana and possibly Sky will surely go hard towards the end tomorrow and you can't blame them for that. If Contador starts and limits losses over the next couple of days due to the bunch soft peddling they will be fools not to test him. There is such a tough final week of the Giro where Contador could take lots of time back so this is a situation, albeit very unfortunate where they must take advantage.

Yeah.. At the very least they should test him to see how he and the team responds...

I take it Astana will take no heat for it as they have been very agressive and on the front often..

Sky however may be put in bit of a spot since they have been happy with a more anonymous approach.
Should they go full on tomorrow they will be called cynics for sure..

But this is no sunday ride.. To win you must explore opportunities.

 

[WheelofGear]

Sky and Astana are NOT going to work tomorrow. They are not interesting in appearing as cold-hearted villians who are attacking wounded prey. At least not Sky who are more image conscious.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Sky and Astana are NOT going to work tomorrow. They are not interesting in appearing as cold-hearted villians who are attacking wounded prey. At least not Sky who are more image conscious.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if they kept the pace super high

 

[the sceptic]

astana have by far the strongest team so would be *** of them to not do anything tomorrow

 

[GuyIncognito]

Whatever the case, I expect saturday to be the day Rickie Doors goes full *** and shows Froome 2013 levels.
Sky might keep a high pace but he probably won't attack

 

[WheelofGear]

Re: Re:

Sky and Astana are NOT going to work tomorrow. They are not interesting in appearing as cold-hearted villians who are attacking wounded prey. At least not Sky who are more image conscious.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if they kept the pace super high

Astana is a little dirtier in their tactics, so they might keep the pace high without attacking. But no way, Sky would try to do something.

The only time I've seen them playing dirty was in this year's Milano-Sanremo.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re: Re:

Sky and Astana are NOT going to work tomorrow. They are not interesting in appearing as cold-hearted villians who are attacking wounded prey. At least not Sky who are more image conscious.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if they kept the pace super high

Astana is a little dirtier in their tactics, so they might keep the pace high without attacking. But no way, Sky would try to do something.

The only time I've seen them playing dirty was in this year's Milano-Sanremo.

2012 Vuelta? Valverde crashes in the leader's jersey, Sky respond by putting 6 guys on the front and telling them to drill it

 

[WheelofGear]

Ah ok. Didn't remember that.

 

[Richeypen]

Re:

Ah ok. Didn't remember that.

Probably because it didnt happen. Sky were already drilling it, trying to split the pelton, they just didnt stop when the crash happened.

 

[shalgo]

Re: Re:

2012 Vuelta? Valverde crashes in the leader's jersey, Sky respond by putting 6 guys on the front and telling them to drill it

That's not exactly what happened. Sky tried to create echelons in a cross-wind and, as Sky did so, Valverde crashed. He was upset after the stage not because they started pushing the pace after he crashed--because that is not what happened--but because he felt that Sky had caused his crash.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/valverde-accuses-sky-of-provoking-vuelta-crash

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/08/news/to-wait-or-not-to-wait-sky-charges-valverde-falls-and-tongues-wag_235266

You can see it happen here: https://youtu.be/LNUtF6GEhtA?t=52

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Ah ok. Didn't remember that.

Probably because it didnt happen. Sky were already drilling it, trying to split the pelton, they just didnt stop when the crash happened.

Yes, it did happened, try watch it again. Sky rider hit the front, after two seconds there was a big crash, they all saw it, including that rider who pull at the front, they probably also saw it was Valverde, leader of the race in that moment, so they should of stop. But they didn't...

 

[Flamin]

On second thoughts, wasn't Contador Aru's youth idol? Maybe Aru has so much respect he at least will want to beat Alberto uphill and not finish him 'cheaply' in a stage like tomorrow.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Tom Boonen for me.

Too hard for Boonen, if they go full gass on it, i don't think he'll able to hold on.

I hope i'm wrong

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

On second thoughts, wasn't Contador Aru's youth idol? Maybe Aru has so much respect he at least will want to beat Alberto uphill and not finish him 'cheaply' in a stage like tomorrow.

It doesn't matter, everybody will do the race tomorrow as it should be done to get an advantage against opposition regardless it's Contador, Porte, Aru or you name it. Unfortunately Contador is injured and might have a problem but if he can't keep up tomorrow what chances are that Saturday he'll be that better to contest some uphill onslaught?

 

[ILovecycling]

Lobato to unleash his first Giro victory

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

On second thoughts, wasn't Contador Aru's youth idol? Maybe Aru has so much respect he at least will want to beat Alberto uphill and not finish him 'cheaply' in a stage like tomorrow.

It doesn't matter, everybody will do the race tomorrow as it should be done to get an advantage against opposition regardless it's Contador, Porte, Aru or you name it. Unfortunately Contador is injured and might have a problem but if he can't keep up tomorrow what chances are that Saturday he'll be that better to contest some uphill onslaught?

Not sure what your point is tbh. What doesn't matter? If Astana and Sky decide to take it easy, Alberto has an extra day to recover from injury without losing time..

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

On second thoughts, wasn't Contador Aru's youth idol? Maybe Aru has so much respect he at least will want to beat Alberto uphill and not finish him 'cheaply' in a stage like tomorrow.

Yes. tomorrow is a question of breakaways and sprinters teams, any big team will take advantage about Contador, wont be sportive.

Tomorrow is Lobato s day.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

On second thoughts, wasn't Contador Aru's youth idol? Maybe Aru has so much respect he at least will want to beat Alberto uphill and not finish him 'cheaply' in a stage like tomorrow.

It doesn't matter, everybody will do the race tomorrow as it should be done to get an advantage against opposition regardless it's Contador, Porte, Aru or you name it. Unfortunately Contador is injured and might have a problem but if he can't keep up tomorrow what chances are that Saturday he'll be that better to contest some uphill onslaught?

Not sure what your point is tbh. What doesn't matter? If Astana and Sky decide to take it easy, Alberto has an extra day to recover from injury without losing time..

Point is it doesn't matter Bertie was Aru's idol, it's the Giro and Fabio wants to win it so nobody will take it easy. Of course it's my opinion and I might be totally wrong, Sky and Astana could soft pedal all the 264 km.